Build the Experience and Confidence to Sail Independently

New to sailing?
Try Sailing. 3 hours on the water. No experience needed.
Ready to learn?
Start Sailing Lessons. Learn to skipper your own boat.
Already sailing?
Advanced Sailing. Trips and flotillas to build experience.
Start With Intro to Sailing

Intro to Sailing

A small-group introduction designed for anyone who is curious about sailing and wants a low-commitment first step.
No prior experience or preparation is required. Just show up and spend three hours on the water learning the basics in a relaxed, hands-on setting.
This session gives you a feel for how a cruising sailboat works as you take the helm, trim sails, and work as skipper and crew. With a maximum of three students, you’ll receive personal instruction and plenty of time at the controls.
If the experience clicks, most students continue into ASA 101 Basic Keelboat to begin building the skills and confidence to sail independently.
Book Intro to Sailing
Sailboat on Dock - Sailing Lessons
OS Students on Catamaran Picking Up Mooring Ball OS Students on Catamaran Picking Up Mooring Ball

Sailing Lessons

Sailing lessons specifically designed to build the confidence to bareboat charter, sail, or cruise on your own.
Learning to sail is more than just classes and certifications. Our classes maximize time on the water and provide you opportunities after certification to build experience and confidence as skipper and crew.
We use the curriculum and standards set by American Sailing and currently teach ASA 101, 103, 104, 105, 106, and 114 certifications.
Our base of operations is on Lake Travis in Austin, Texas. We offer sailing classes year round on Lake Travis and multiple other destinations worldwide.
Book a Sailing Lesson

Advanced Sailing

Combining hands-on sailing with real-world voyages to create confident, capable sailors.
Advanced Sailing combines immersive voyages with hands-on training and real-world experience. Aboard bareboat chartered monohulls or catamarans up to 50 feet, you'll operate as skipper, navigator, and crew under the guidance of expert ASA certified instructors.
Our program focuses on real-world skills like navigation, safety, and coastal passage planning, while building the confidence needed to charter and cruise independently.
These experiences go beyond training. They build confidence, expand your capabilities, and prepare you to sail on your own. You'll deepen your understanding of sailing while sailing some of the world’s most remarkable cruising grounds.
Learn More
Jost Van dyke, British Virgin Islands - Alumni Flotillas Spanish Virigin Islands - Alumni Flotillas

What Other Sailors Have To Say

I just completed the ASA 101 class with Outbound Sailing and it was excellent. Jason provided detailed, clear, hands-on instruction and walked us through all of the basic sailing maneuvers. We then repeated them multiple times until we felt comfortable. We were even able to learn more complex things like docking the 31 foot sailboat. I highly recommend Outbound to anyone interested in sailing!

Reid Wittliff 04/25/26 via Google Reviews

We wanted to get back into sail after a nearly 20 year break. Jason’s knowledge of sailing and his ability to teach that knowledge with hands on experiences at the helm and as crew is exceptional. We dusted off our old skills and learned many new ones. We all enjoyed many repetitions on tacks, jibes, heave to, man overboard, docking, and lots more! Highly recommended to anyone that wants to advance their skills as a sailor. Boomerang was a great vessel to learn on as well.

Kari Michalek 04/24/26 via Google Reviews

Had a great 2 days on the lake, Learning to sail!

Michael Porter 04/21/25 via Google Reviews
Read All Our Reviews

Welcome to Outbound Sailing

Almost twenty years ago, Captain Tim Taylor started Outbound Sailing to share his passion for life under sail and to inspire others to weigh anchor and explore. That same spirit still drives us today.
At Outbound Sailing, we teach people who want more than a one-time experience. Whether your goal is local day sailing or building the skills to confidently bareboat-charter and cruise worldwide, our training turns beginners into capable, independent sailors.
Our curriculum builds on American Sailing standards, offering a full progression of courses — ASA 101, 103, 104, 105, 106, and 114 — designed to turn curiosity into competence and confidence.
Whether your dream is cruising Lake Travis or exploring the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Tahiti, or beyond, every course moves you closer to real independence on the water.
Because when you learn to sail, you don’t just gain a new skill — you open a new way to see the world, one horizon at a time.
Jason Burns
Instructor | General Manager
(512) 222-7245
P.S. Have questions or just want to talk sailing? I’d love to hear about your sailing goals and help you figure out the best next step — even if that means suggesting a different program or school. Call or text me anytime — I’m always happy to help.

Try Intro to Sailing or contact us to start building the experience and confidence to sail independently.
Try Intro to Sailing
OS Sailing Pathways
OS Sailing Pathways

We don’t just offer sailing lessons. We offer our students and alumni pathways to building the experience and confidence...

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Adventure Learning Vacations
Adventure Learning

All of our advanced sailing classes are taught during our liveaboard 7-10 day adventure learning vacations...

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ASA 101 Basic Keelboat Sailing
ASA 101 Basic Keelboat Sailing

Learn to skipper a sloop-rigged keelboat of approximately 20 to 27 feet in length by day in light to light to moderate winds...

Read Article
Driving Distance to Outbound Sailing
Coming from out of town to our home base in Austin, Texas? No problem. Check out great local places to stay near our base of operations on Lake Travis!
PANHANDLE / WEST TEXAS
  • San Angelo - 193 miles ~ 3 hr 13 min
  • Abilene - 220 miles ~ 3 hr 42 min
  • Midland - 305 miles ~ 4 hr 54 min
  • Odessa - 325 miles ~ 5 hr 11 min
  • Lubbock - 366 miles ~ 5 hr 50 min
  • Amarillo - 480 miles ~ 7 hr 32 min
  • El Paso - 575 miles ~ 8 hr 21 min
NORTH TEXAS
  • Fort Worth - 195 miles ~ 2 hr 59 min
  • Dallas - 200 miles ~ 3 hr 3 min
  • Arlington - 204 miles ~ 3 hr 15 min
  • Frisco - 227 miles ~ 3 hr 30 min
  • McKinney - 332 miles ~ 3 hr 36 min
  • Denison - 275 miles ~ 4 hr 26 min
  • Wichita Falls - 308 miles ~ 4 hr 44 min
EAST TEXAS
  • Crockett - 182 miles ~ 3 hr 20 min
  • Tyler - 236 miles ~ 4 hr 1 min
  • Lufkin - 227 miles ~ 4 hr 10 min
  • Nacogdoches - 236 miles ~ 4 hr 15 min
  • Beamont - 266 miles ~ 4 hr 20 min
  • Longview - 281 miles ~ 4 hr 39 min
  • Marshall - 305 miles ~ 5 hr 2 min
CENTRAL TEXAS
  • Austin - 23.1 miles ~ 37 min
  • San Marcos - 48 miles ~ 59 min
  • Bastrop - 50 miles ~ 1 hr 3 min
  • Llano - 62 miles - 1 hr 10 min
  • Temple - 73 miles ~ 1 hr 19 min
  • Waco - 107 miles ~ 1 hr 48 min
  • College Station - 123 miles ~ 2 hr 16 min
SOUTH TEXAS
  • New Braunfels - 66 miles ~ 1 hr 16 min
  • San Antonio - 97 miles ~ 1 hr 47 min
  • Victoria - 143 miles ~ 2 hr 39 min
  • Corpus Christi - 234 miles ~ 3 hr 35 min
  • Laredo - 253 miles ~ 4 hr 18 min
  • Harlingen - 346 miles ~ 5 hr 28 min
  • South Padre - 391 miles ~ 6 hr 9 min
UPPER TEXAS GULF COAST
  • Sugar Land - 180 miles ~ 2 hr 55 min
  • The Woodlands - 176 miles ~ 2 hr 59 min
  • Houston - 183 miles ~ 3 hr 2 min
  • West Columbia - 184 miles ~ 3 hr 17 min
  • Kemah - 217 miles ~ 3 hr 39 min
  • Freeport - 214 miles ~ 3 hr 51 min
  • Galveston - 236 miles ~ 4 hr 3 min
Try Intro to Sailing